This invention relates to the transfer of coke from a coke oven chamber to a quenching car and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method wherein the coke is quenched on its removal from the oven to prevent emission of dust particles to the atmosphere, the steam resulting from quenching of the coke being collected in a hood above the quenching car and condensed to prevent its emission to the atmosphere.
In the production of coke from coal, coal is placed in oven chambers in a battery of coke ovens where it is heated in the absence of air to convert the coal to coke. On completion of the coking process, the coke is removed from the coking oven, and the red-hot coke quickly is quenched to prevent its burning on exposure to the atmosphere. In one method of producing coke, the coke oven chamber is emptied by pushing the coke out the side of the coke oven chamber by means of a pusher ram into a coke carrying car and then into a quenching car. The quenching car is then moved to a quenching tower where the red-hot coke is sprayed with water to cool it. The steam resulting from the quenching operation is generally vented to the atmosphere. During the transfer process and particularly during removal of the coke from the coke oven chamber, a considerable amount of dust is loosened from the coke as it falls into the quenching car. Because of the high temperature of the red-hot coke and consequently the heat radiating from the surface, the dust is driven upward into the atmosphere to be distributed over a large surrounding area. In one known process and apparatus for the transfer of coke from the coke oven chamber, these undesired emissions are suppressed by the arrangement of a hood on the outside of the coke carrying car above the quenching car which travels with the quenching car as it moves along the coke oven battery. Water spray nozzles are located in the hood for spraying the coke in the quenching car. The water spray cools the outer surface of the coke in the quenching car thereby greatly reducing the heat radiation from the coke. With this apparatus, the principal cause of heavy emissions to the atmosphere in the coking process is eliminated. However, this process and apparatus has a disadvantage in that the steam generated from the quenching of the coke in the quenching car accumulates under the hood and comes out from below the hood carrying dust emissions with it.